Now that we're all connected and responding 24x7 via any number of devices, of course there would be a loud corresponding call to have a "real-time supply chain," too. A complex world, running on follow-the-sun supply chains, requires a hyper-connected and super responsive operation that goes beyond best-guess demand planning and forecasting, right? Some industry experts claim that the day for real-time supply chain practices has come -- and is on the verge of being more mainstream, thanks to a multitude of cloud data management tools and increased corporate adoption of new supply chain software platforms coming to market. However, there's also acknowledgement that a necessary foundation for moving efficiently at real-time speed -- supply chain analytics -- is still very much at the beginning stages of development at many companies, and will take time to build out. Some cl...